


Hearth Light

by lacewing



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Holiday Special, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8876584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lacewing/pseuds/lacewing
Summary: Holiday special at Grillby's. our favorite Bartender contemplates what he's going to be doing over the holiday season when a figure comes in close to closing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my holiday special. If its liked I may get another part or two before christmas. But for the moment it's a one shot unless requested more.  
> I do like writing Grillby and there is so little of him!

Hearth Light

-0-

A late Christmas eve, past a few stragglers who he had been slowly edging towards the door or calling cabs for, it was pretty much closing time.

Which made him pause when the door opened and a figure came in. Grillby tilted his head, he had been cleaning cups, most the tables had their chairs stacked. He might have spoken up that he was closing if the hooded figure wasn’t looking half frozen, and rather confused. After a moment saw him and wove their way towards him. Sitting at the bar and pulling back their hood, to reveal an equally haggard looking young woman who was wet and he was pretty sure, shouldn’t look so blue around the edges. 

He tilted his head at her and she just stared back. Not a rude stare, or confused, but more of a blank stare of someone not even sure where they were. 

“could I have a glass of water please.” She said softly. Her voice nearly quaked from chill.

Grillby paused and after a moment he came back not just with a small glass of water, but a warm mug of hot cocoa. He set the water down and then the cocoa and while she stared at it he added a substantial curl of whipped cream and a few chocolate sprinkles.

Her face just sort of lit up like a little kid and her fingers curled around the mug, likely grateful for the heat. After a moment of standing nearby letting her soak up the heat she peeled herself out of her jacket. Letting it hang on the stool next to her leaving a little puddle of water on the floor, she looked embarrassed about that. “I… will clean it up.” She again spoke quietly, as if her voice was having a hard time going up higher than a whisper.

He shook his head “It is alright.” One of the last of the regulars left their glass on his bar and with a glance at the human waved to him before heading out. He followed and locked the door after them. Flipping his sign to closed. Outside he could see that the sleet like wet had turned to snow. Well won’t that be lovely in the morning, he could already mentally picture all the pile ups on the roadways. A sigh as he wondered if he could call out from spending Christmas morning with his brother and his family. Not that he didn’t want to see them, he did, he also just didn’t want to go out into that mess. 

He came back to the counter turning the rest of the chairs up onto their tables. A quick wipe down of a couple spare booths. When he got back he could see the human who had wandered into his bar better. She was not really properly dressed for the cold. Her shirt was thin and short sleeved, her pants had more hole than whole cloth and she didn’t even have socks on with the old beat up sneakers she wore. Even the coat was more suited for a spring than winter day. 

He went back around to the back of his bar and kept with his clean up, she just sipped on the cocoa and remained quiet as she slowly stopped shivering and her eyes were sagging from exhaustion. He had gone in back to finish up his clean up from when he closed the kitchen and after a pause made a quick plate of fries. It didn’t take long the wedge potatoes bubbling while he finished wiping down equipment and putting away the last of the cleaned up equipment for the night. 

He came out with the basket of fries and set them on the counter next to the girl with a bottle of ketchup. She just blinked several moments at this before she reached out and took a fry. Biting down on it and pausing for a long moment as she seemed to register the flavor of it.  
When she burst into tears he leaned against his bar, running fingers lightly through her damp hair, the heat drying and making it curl up like a rather amusing halo around her face. 

“Do you need a cab?” he asked her. She shook her head. 

“I don’t have money for one, I, am not far.” She said, rattling off the address of an apartment complex that was half way across town. Grillby grimaced. Like hell he was letting this little thing go back out there, not this late in the early morning hours. All the remaining bars would be closing up and kicking out their patrons.

“Why where you out there? It’s almost Christmas.” He asked her.

She shrugged nibbling at another fry. The food definitely seemed to perk her up, well monster food would do that. He always noticed the positive effect it tended to have on humans. “nowhere to go, couldn’t sleep.” She admitted. 

“Not going to be spending tomorrow with family?” he questioned.

She shook her head “they are all on the other side of the country.” 

She seemed depressed and sank down a bit into herself as she picked at the fries. There seemed to be more to her story, he’d been working long enough as a bartender to know how to pick out the things that were unsaid as well as the things said. He sighed “I am going to call you a cab, I’ll pay for it.” He told her before she could argue with him “Eat.” He told her point at the fries and he refilled her hot beverage. 

He might not ever see this girl again, but he always took care of those who came through his doors. 

She stared at him for a long moment, as if for the first time actually seeing him. Then her head ducked down embarrassed “I’m sorry.”  
He chuckled, a dry crackling sound “Eat.” He admonished her “It will help you to feel better.” 

He got his phone and called up a monster run cab service. The boatmen might not have a river to float up and down on these days, but they were a great cab service who always made sure they got their fare to their destination. Plus he could pull a favor and not have to pay them. Not that they didn’t often take on fares who couldn’t pay, it seemed to be a personal policy of theirs. 

He was informed they would have someone around in about twenty minutes so he hung up and turned back to the quiet human. The food was perking her up, but she looked, so lost. One free hand to rub at her face and the tears still on her cheeks. 

He leaned against the bar watching her and she glanced up at him.

He was just thinking. She wandered into his bar because she was lost and alone. Most the patrons who where the last to leave, even among monsters, didn’t necessarily have friends or family they could hang out with tomorrow.

“If you have nothing else you are doing, come here tomorrow.” He said, making up his mind. “I am going to be open.” Grillby turned and under his counter pulled out a pad he used when making notes for his doors.

He started to write a new one.

_Nowhere to go? My doors will be open this holiday season._

He showed her the sign and she stared at it, and slowly the lost left her eyes and for a moment, like with the cocoa a smile came back to her face. 

She really was just a lost kid, like another who once wandered into his establishment long ago. He smiled and decided yeah, he was going to call his family and apologize. Likely invite them to come here, but in a way he wanted to see a few more smiles like this. Perhaps watch a few friendships spark or even a little romance ignite. To help kindle a new family if they had no one else. 

Maybe help a few people find their own little Christmas miracle. 

-0-

_  
Dedicated to a dear old friend who owned a small hole in the wall bar, who had a sign like above. Who brought so much cheer and happiness when I was just a lost and depressed college student. Who made us all feel like family, and made the best god damn hot chocolate that you needed to show an ID for._


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a very short follow up of the prior bit. I had a couple poeple asking about the party.

Hearth Fire  
Chapter 2  
-0-

Grilby was surprised just how many showed up, and pleasantly surprised when a couple of the folk who came in had instruments and were willing to play for the evening. A pair of street buskers who had seen his sign earlier in the day, and now that evening came showed up to see if they might be able to play. He set the humans up in a corner, and their songs and good cheer drew in more individuals with instruments, or voices to sing with (or voices they thought they could sing with after a few drinks). 

The crowd, was much more mixed than normal. More humans and monsters who after a few moments of staring at eachother found the holiday spirit enough to get over their differences for one night. 

Or perhaps because most all these people where alone and even if it was someone they wouldn’t have normally given the time of day to, it was better than being alone. 

Drinks of the ‘I need your ID please’ kind of course cost extra, but he had a little buffet of simple finger foods and even punch and cider set up that anyone was welcome to. He also found (and one of the Monster clients was keeping an eye on just in case any of it was tainted or poisoned) that people were bringing in cookies, and plates of food. The humans explained it was a tradition called ‘pot latch’. 

His bar was full of warmth, music and laughter. 

The Bar owner and tender knew he had made the right choice. Partway into he evening he looked up in time to see the human from the night before, looking a little nervous and unsure by the doorway. He was delivering a drink to a table when he saw her and went over “You came” he commented.

She blinked up at him and gave a shrug, she was definitely dressed better for the cold, although she still didn’t have proper shoes “Um, well, I wasn’t sure if you were serious, and I... heh, I guess you were.” 

“I will make you a cocoa” he offered and drew her away from the door and into the bar. Soon she was set up with her drink and watching the band argue over the words to a Christmas Choral before they started to try and sing it, with a group, half of whom still got the words wrong. 

But it still sounded wonderful all the same. 

The evening wore on, and Grilby had to put in the last call. Mixed cheers and boos, but slowly people began to filter out much as they had filtered in. He was just glad to see many where not living alone. But with new friends and acquaintances. Mixed as well, human and monster. 

It gave him hope for the future. That maybe things will look brighter and someday this, would be normal. Humans, and Monsters just existing together as friends. 

As he cleaned up he saw the human from earlier, curled up in a booth next to a dog monsters, the two were sound asleep. Just enjoying eachother’s warm and comfort. 

He smiled, his flames crackling and he left them be while he cleaned up. 

He was going to be all night at this. 

But he didn’t mind.

It was worth it.


End file.
